RAJAR Q2/14: BBC: Radio 2 Breakfast Show reaches new high

More people are tuning into to the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 than to any programme since records began, according to data released today.

The show - which runs from 6.30 to 9.30am on weekdays and also features Moira Stuart, Lynn Bowles and Vassos Alexander - is the most popular radio programme since the current RAJAR methodology began in 1999, attracting 9.91 million listeners every week (compared to 9.75m last year and 9.83m last quarter).

Chris has presented the show since January 2010, when he took over from Sir Terry Wogan.

Helen Boaden, Director of BBC Radio, said: “Chris is a brilliant presenter and a unique talent. The Radio 2 breakfast show is unlike anything else on radio, with great music, news, sports updates and Pause for Thought alongside features like the 500 Words children’s writing competition, and shows that utterly distinctive, high-quality programmes can also attract large audiences.”

The figures – which cover the period from 31st March to 22nd June - show All BBC Radio has a weekly reach of 35.23million, compared to last quarter’s 35.31m and last year’s record 35.88m, and a share of 53.3% – down from 54.9% last quarter and 53.9% last year.

Radio 1 recorded a weekly reach of 10.80 million listeners aged 15+ during the period, compared to 10.53m last year and 11.02m last quarter. Including all listeners aged 10+, that figure rises to 11.77 million. The station has a share of 6.8%, (from 6.8% last year and 6.7% last quarter).

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw increased its weekly reach to 5.97 million, from 5.85m last quarter and 5.89m last year. Including all listeners aged 10+, the show now has a weekly audience of 6.39 million.

Radio 2 attracted 15.5 million listeners each week (compared to 15.57m last quarter and 15.44m last year) and had a 17.7% share of listening (from 17.9% last quarter and 17.2% last year).

Radio 3 has a weekly audience of 1.88 million listeners, compared to 2.0m last year and 2.09m last quarter, and the network’s share is 1.0%, from 1.2% last year and 1.3% last quarter.

Radio 4 posted a weekly reach of 10.53 million during the period, from 10.98m last year and 10.95m last quarter. Its share of listening is 11.6%, compared to 12.2% last quarter and 12.1% last year. The Today programme has 6.71 million listeners each week, from 6.97m last year and 7.06m last quarter.

Radio 5 live posted a combined reach with sister station 5 live sports extra of 6.44 million listeners, from 6.33m last quarter and 6.32m last year. Share for Radio 5 live (inc. sports extra) is 4.4% (4.5% last year and 4.3% last quarter). Radio 5 live’s reach – without 5 live sports extra – was 6.28 million, compared to 6.04m last year and 6.17m last quarter.

Amongst digital-only stations, Radio 1Xtra posted a reach of 937,000 weekly listeners (from 1.11m last year and 1.10m last quarter), Radio 6 Music drew 1.89 million listeners (from 1.93m last quarter and 1.79m last quarter) and Radio 4 Extra attracted 1.57 million listeners per week (from last quarter’s 1.66m and last year’s 1.57m) while the Asian Network recorded a weekly audience of 552,000 (reporting on 6mths).

BBC Local Radio in England now reaches 6.8m listeners each week (compared to 7.2m last year and 6.9m last quarter) and BBC London posted a reach of 572,000 - its largest audience under the current methodology and up from 443,000 last quarter and 492,000 last year.